Circuit-arrangement for use in automatic singaling systems for the numerical adjustmet of a final selector under the control of pulses



Nov. 2, 1954 BUCHNER 2,693,506

CIRCUIT-ARRANGEMENT FOR USE IN AUToMATIC SIGNALING SYSTEMS FOR THE NUMERICAL ADJUSTMENT OF A FINAL SELECTOR UNDER THE CONTROL OF PULsEs Filed Jan. 1'7, 1951 INVENTOR. Q; ROBE R T BERTOLD BUCH NER AGENT nits tates ice CIRCUIT-ARRANGEMENT FOR USE IN AUTO- MATIC SIGNALING SYSTEMS FOR THE NU- MERICAL ADJUSTMENT OF A FINAL SELEC- TOR UNDER THE CONTROL OF PULSES Robert Bertold Buchner, Hilversum, Netherlands, assignor to Hartford National Bank and Trust Company, Hartford, Conn., as trustee Application January 17, 1951, Serial No. 206,346

Claims priority, application Netherlands February 4, 1950 2 Claims. (Cl. 179-18) The invention relates to circuit-arrangements for use in automatic signalling systems, for example automatic telephone systems, for the numerical setting of a single motion final selector having a fixed rest position, under the control of pulses.

A circuit-arrangement for the setting of a switch is known, in which the switch comprises two groups of individual test contacts, i. e. test contacts not connected to corresponding contacts of other switches, and in which each contact of one group are arranged between contacts of the other group in the contact bank. Under the control of dialling pulses, pulse contact supplies a start criterion and a stop criterion alternately to the contacts of one group and to those of the other group, any further contacts provided being supplied with a start cri terion. Through a test wiper, the control device of the switch tests the nature of the criteria and causes the switch to stop when the wiper reaches a test contact having a stop criterion and causes it to move on when a test contact is supplied with a start criterion.

In the rest position of the selector, the rest test contact has a stop criterion. Upon the reception of the first pulse the criteria are interchanged and the selector moves on until a test contact of the other group now having a stop criterion is found. On receiving the second pulse, the pulse contact again changes over, so that the contact at which the selector is stopped is supplied with a start criterion and the selector moves on until a contact of the first group, now having a stop criterion, is reached. Consequently, the circuit-arrangement may be said to operate as an electrical escapement.

The stop criterion may, for example, consist in the presence of voltage at a test contact, whereas a contact having a start criterion has no voltage, i. e., is not connected to a voltage source. Conversely, the absence of voltage may be indicative of the stop criterion and the presence of voltage indicative of the start criterion.

The use of an electrical escapement permits the use of single motion switches which are simpler and cheaper than two-motion switches, while registers or separate setting switches are not needed. Since the spaces between the contacts at which the selector is stopped after a pulse series may be varied within wide limits, the numerical groups may be very difierent from each other.

The aforesaid principle may be used not only for the setting of group selectors but also of final selectors. A known circuit-arrangement utilizes an electrical escapement in a final selector only for setting to a wanted decade (groups of tens). During setting to the desired outlet within the decade, the switch operates as a step-by-step switch, so that the circuit-arrangement cannot be used in combination with centrally driven switches.

Switches, adapted to operate as step-by-step switches with self-interruption contacts have a limitation in that they. are slow in operation, so that the reliability of setting is seriously afiected if attempts are made to increase the speed of operation.

The object of the invention is to provide a circuitarrangement in which, both the decade setting and the setting to the wanted outlet are efi'ected with the aid of an electrical escapement. In this circuit-arrangement all the outlets of the selector may, in principle, be utilized to advantage so that intermediate auxiliary test contacts to which an outgoing line cannot be connected may be dispensed with.

In order that the invention may be more clearly under stood and readily carried into effect, it will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, given by way of example, in whichone embodiment of the circuit-arrangement according to the invention is represented.

The drawing shows a circuit-arrangement for the setting of a final selector with the use of an electrical escapement, in which marking is tested directly by the rotary magnet of the switch and the start and stop criteria are formed by the connection and disconnection respectively of the relative test contacts to a battery.

The drawing only shows those elements which are necessary for a good understanding of the invention.

Of the contact bank of the switch only part of the escapement is shown, over which the test wiper T, passes and which has contacts N, 11, 12 and so on. The other contacts and wipers of the switch, such as the contacts and wipers through which a speech connection is established, or by means of which the busy marking for the various outlets takes place, and the means for testing the busy marking are omitted in drawing for the sake of simplicity.

The test contacts of the escapement, in contradistinction to other contacts of the switch, are not multiplied to corresponding contacts of other final selectors.

In the rest position of the switch, the wiper T engages the contact N. If the rotary magnet D is energised, the

- wiper T wipes over the test contacts in the direction of the arrow.

The contacts 11, 21, and so on correspond with the outlets of the switch having the same units digit. The contacts 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 10 correspond with outlets of the first decade, the contacts 21 to 20 with outlets of the second decade, and so on.

The rest contact N and the last contacts (10, 30, 50, 70, 9(3) of the odd numbered decades are connected to a line L3. The make contact )3 of a relay P is connected between the line L3 and earth.

The first contacts (11, 31, 51, 71, 91) of the odd numbered decades are connected to a line L4. Rest contact p3 is connected between the line L4 and earth.

Of the remaining contacts of the escapement, contacts having an odd numbered units digit, contacts 13, 15, 17, 19, 21 and so on, are connected to a line L5, whereas the contacts having an even numbered units digit, contacts 12, 14, and so on, are connected to a line Ls. Contacts of any non-numerical outlets, such as contacts corre sponding with lines associated with a P. B. X-group, which contacts are not shown in the drawing, are connected directly to earth.

If the relay E is not energized the lines L5 and La are earthed through rest contacts e2 and es of relay E. If the relay E is energized, the line L5 is connected through make contact 62 to the line L4, and the line Ls is connected to the line L3 through make contact e3.

The circuit-arrangement operates as follows:

When the final selector is engaged by a group selector in a preceding stage, busy relay C is energized through line L1. The relay C prepares through its make contact 01 an energizing circuit for the rotary magnet D. By closing the make contact c2, an energizing circuit for relay E is prepared in series with rest contact ha of relay B and make contact k1 of the switch. Relay E is not energized in this circuit, since contact k1 is open in the rest position of the switch.

The dialling pulses are supplied through line L to the pulse receiving relay A, which is thus energized upon each pulse of the tens series and of the units series. Upon the reception of the first tens pulse by relay A, make contacts a1 and 112 of this relay are closed and relay Q is energized in the circuit from earth through make contact a1, rest contact p1 of relay P, make contact 02 of relay A, rest contact 12 of relay P, winding of relay Q and through battery Ba back to earth.

Relay Q completes, through its make contact an a holding circuit for itself in series with the winding of relay P. Relay P, however, is not energized, since its winding is short-circuited through make contact qr, rest contact p2, make contact a2 and rest contact p1.

Energisation of relay Q causes the relay B to become energized through make contact 02 of relay C, make contact qs of relay Q and make contact as of relay A. Relay B is thus energized subsequently to relay Q. Naturally, as an alternative, this effect may be obtained directly by providing that relay B responds more slowly than relay Q. Relay B closes its make contact In in parallel with the make contact a1 of relay A and its make contact b3 in parallel with make contact qs of relay Q.

Relay B de-energizes slowly, so that its contacts are held operated during the period between two pulses of the same series and is re-energised by the following pulse.

At the end of the first pulse, relay A is de-energised, so that owing to the opening of make contact a2, the short-circuit of relay P is interrupted and relay P is energized in a circuit from earth through make contact b1, the Winding of relay P, make contact qr, the winding of relay Q to the battery Ba.

Relay P changes over contacts p1 and 22 into the make position.

At the beginning of the following pulse, relay Q is de-energized, since its winding is short-circuited through make contacts qt, p2, a2 and pr upon closure of make contact as of relay A. Relay P, however, is held energized in the circuit from earth through make contact In, Winding of relay P, make contact p2, make contact a2, make contact p1 to battery Ba until this circuit is interrupted at make contact a2 upon de-energisation of relay A at the end of the second pulse.

The relay arrangement P, Q, thus resumes its initial position after two pulses. The co-operation described is repeated on receiving following pulses of the same series. At the beginning of each odd numbered pulse the relay Q is thus energized and at the beginning of each even numbered pulse, the relay Q is again de-energized. The relay arrangement P, Q consequently operates as a pulsehalving circuit.

Since the relays Q and B are energised at the beginning of the first pulse of the tens series, the rotary magnet D is energised in the circuit from earth through make contact qz of relay Q, line L3, rest contact N, wiper T, make contact b2 of relay B, make contact c1, the winding of the rotary magnet D to battery Ba.

The switch is actuated and the wiper T leaves the rest position N, the switch closing its make contacts k1 and k2. Relay E, however, is not energised, since the rest contact [23 is open.

The wiper T stops upon reaching the test contact 11, since at this instance this contact is not earthed and the energizing circuit of the rotary magnet D is thus interrupted. Contact 11 is the first contact of the first decade.

Upon reception of the second pulse of the tens series, the relay Q is de-energised, as stated above, and closes its rest contact qz, so that the rotary magnet D is again energized in a circuit from earth through rest contact qz, line L4, test contact 11, wiper T, make contacts [)2 and 01, the winding of the rotary magnet D, through the battery Ba and back to earth.

The switch now moves on and passes by the outlets 12 to 19 of the first decade, the test contacts of which are earthed through rest contact ea or rest contact as. The selector stops when the outlet is reached, i. e. the last of the first decade, the test contact of which is not earthed, since the make contact qz is open.

It will now be assumed that the outlet to be chosen has the number 23.

After the second pulse of the tens series no further pulses of this series follow and make contact as remains open during a period which exceeds the time of de-energisation of relay B. Relay B is released and opens its make contacts in and In which, in the present case, has no immediate effect since both the rotary magnet D and the relays P and Q are de-energised. Owing to the closure of rest contact b3, relay E is energised in a circuit from earth through make contact 02, rest contact b3, make contact k1, the winding of relay E to battery Ba.

Relay E completes a holding circuit for itself through its make contact e1, independently of rest contact b3 and changes over the contacts es and e3 into the make position.

On reception of the first pulse of the units series relays A, Q and B are energised in a manner entirely similar to that at the beginning of the tens pulse series.

Relay B is held energised during the units pulse series. The make contact qz closes, so that the rotary magnet D is energised through make contact qz, line L3, test contact 10, wiper T and make contacts b2 and c1.

The selector moves to the outlet 21 i. e. the first outlet of the second decade. At the second units pulse, relay Q is de-energised and the contact 21 is earthed through rest contact 12, make contact eg and the selector moves to the outlet 22.

At the third units pulse, relay Q is again energised and test contact 22 is earthed through make contacts qz and as and the selector moves to the desired outlet 23.

Since no further units pulses follow, relay B is deenergised and means (not shown) are actuated to test the busy condition of the wanted outlet.

After the termination of the call, the relay C is released, so that relay E is also de-energised. The rotary magnet D is now energised in a circuit from earth through make contact k2 of the switch and rest contact 2, of relay C, the winding of the rotary magnet D and the battery Ba. The switch moves on until, on reaching the rest position, the make contact k2 opens and the rotary magnet D is de-energised.

It will now be assumed that the selector is to be set to the outlet 33, so that in this case the tens series consists of three pulses.

As described above, the selector moves to the outlet 10 after the second tens pulse. The relays Q and E. are then de-energised and the test contact 10 is not earthed.

At the third tens pulse, the relay Q is energised and itest iontact 10 is earthed through make contact qz and The selector now leaves the outlet 10, passes by all the outlets of the second decade and stops when the first outlet (31) of the third decade is reached.

In general, if the number of pulses of the tens series is odd, the selector will finally stop at the first contact of the corresponding decade and, if this number is even, at the last contact of the decade preceding the wanted decade.

Since in the case under view no further tens pulses follow after the third tens pulse, relay B is released, so that relay E is again energised through make contact c2, rest contact b3 and make contact k1.

Furthermore, owing to the opening of make contact In, the relays P and Q are de-energised. Make contact b2, however, opens before rest contact qz closes, so that the rotary magnet D is not energised.

At the first pulse of the next following units series, first the relay Q and then relay B are energised, owing to energisation of relay A in the manner described above. The break contact qz is thus opened before make contact b2 closes. In consequence, the rotary magnet D is not energised and the selector stops at the outlet 31 after the first units pulse.

At the second units pulse the relay Q is de-energised and test contact 31 is earthed through the rest contact qz and the line L4, the selector moving to the outlet 32.

At the third units pulse the relay Q is again energised and connects the test contact 32 to earth through make contact qz, make contact es and line L6. The selector now moves to the desired outlet 33, whereupon relay B is de-energised and the busy marking of the outlet is tested through a test wiper (not shown) of the switch.

The start criterion may, as an alternative, be indicated by connecting the relative test contacts to earth or to a battery: in this case the start-stop criteria should be tested by means of a separate test relay, instead of being tested directly by means of the rotary magnet, this separate test relay controlling in turn the rotary magnet in a circuit comprising a rest contact of the separate test relay and a contact which is closed after the criteria have been interchanged for the first time at the beginning of a pulse series.

The pulse-halving circuit comprising relays P and Q may be included with advantage in the connecting circuit or in a register instead of being included in the selector, so that this circuit-arrangement may be used not only for controlling the group selectors but also for controlling the final selector.

Moreover, instead -of using the pulse-halving circuitarrangement described, any other suitable circuit-arrangement may be used.

What I claim is:

1. In an automatic signalling system, a switching circuit arrangement under the control of dial pulses in a tens and a units pulse series, said arrangement comprising a single motion final selector having a fixed rest position, a succession of test contacts, a test wiper for said contacts, and a rotary magnet for actuating said wiper successively to engage said contacts, the contacts to which the wiper is advanced after a tens pulse series being divided into two groups, the contacts of one group being disposed alternately with respect to contacts of the other group, relay means responsive to said dial pulses during a tens pulse series for supplying to the contacts of said one group a stop criterion having a potential value to elfect deactivation of said magnet and supplying to the contacts of said other group a start criterion having a potential value to effect activation of said magnet, and for interchanging the criteria for each succeeding tens pulse series, relay means responsive to said dial pulses during a tens pulse series for supplying a start criterion to any contacts intermediate the contacts of said groups, a control device connected to said test wiper and coupled to said rotary magnet for deactivating said wiper and arresting said selector when said test wiper reaches a contact having a stop criterion and for activating said wiper and causing the selector to move on when reaching a contact bearing a start criterion, the contacts in said succession thereof being arranged whereby the first contact of each odd numbered decade has a stop criterion after each odd numbered tens pulse and a start criterion after each even numbered tens pulse, and the last contact of each even decade has a start criterion after each odd numbered tens pulse and a stop criterion after each even numbered tens pulse, whereas the remaining test contacts have a start criterion during a series of tens pulses, and the odd numbered contacts of each decade have a stop criterion after each odd numbered units pulse and a start criterion after each even numbered units pulse, and in that the even contacts of each decade have a start criterion after each odd numbered units pulse and a stop criterion after each even numbered units pulse.

2. A switching circuit arrangement, as set forth in claim 1, further including an energization circuit for said rotary magnet, said energization circuit including a normally open contact, and means responsive only after the beginning of a pulse series for closing said contact.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,663,231 Aldendorff Mar. 20, 1918 1,877,883 Kahn Sept. 20, 1932 

